Fountain pen



H. A. FUNK FOUNTAIN PEN Oct. 21, 1930.

Filed Aug. '10. 1928 F/G. a.

F/G. 6. H6. 9.

M QQM V ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 21, 1930 .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HUGO A. FUNK, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO BYRON T. STORY, OF LOS ANGELES ,'CALIFORNIA FOUNTAIN PEN Application filed August 10, 1928. Serial No. 298,757.

. My invention is intended to simplify the construction of the fountain pen as a whole, and has for its objects a means whereby the feed plug is readily interchangeable without the use of tools; means whereby the pen point may be readily changed, likewise, without the use of tools; and means whereby the ink is fed to the underside of the pen-point near the nibs, thus being in contact with the metal of the pen point for a minimum time and'over a minimum part of the surface, making the use of steel points practical.-

A further object is to provide means whereby the capillary and gravitational feed is assisted by an agitating pumping lever, and coincidentally the feed channels are cleared of sediment.

Other objects will appear hereinafter. The following is a description of the obzo jects and combinations of objects which constitute my'invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevational View of afountain pen embodying my invention. For the purpose of more completely illustrating the action of my pen as a whole, a portion of the barrel 12 is shown broken away showing the interior mechanism in which is included the conventional ink sack 13, which is filled and ao refilled by-manipulation of the lever 14 cooperating on the pressure plate 15, all of which is more particularly set out and described in Patent Number 1,433,682 heretofore obtained by me on October 31, 1922. Fig. 2 is a fractional end portion of the barrel as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the feed-plug shown as extended or projected out of the barrel end shown in Fig. 2, and likewise Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the pen-point and feed lever in extended position.

Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of Figs. 3 and 4 respectively; 7 is a bottom. view of -the ifeed-plug previously shown in Figs. 3

and 5.

Fig-8 is an enlarged end view of the feed- Fig. 9 is an-enlarged cross-sectional View of the feed plu as would appear along a to plane indicated. y the line 9'9, of Fig. 7.

t1on of the pen barrel.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged end view. of the feed lever looking toward the point of the pen.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to Fig. 1, the device is shown assembled as in use. The pen 18 is shown held in place upon the feed plug 17, by the rim of the mouth of the barrel 16, at its upper end and by the spring end 27 of the feed lever 19 at its lower end.

In Figl 2 the lower portion of the barrel 12 is shown together with the grip. The hollowed out portion is indicated by the dot ted lines showing the enlargement 16 at the mouth. This is made suitable to hold the upper end of the pen when the feed plug is in place. This feed-plug 17 is shaped as shown in the several views. The upper portion fits snugly (ink tight) into the hollow lower por- The plug is long enough to reach almost to the tip of the pen used and has its lower end about midway between the ink-hole in the pen and the tip thereof. The lower side of the lower end is cut away being beveled so as not to interfere with the pen tip in writing.

'i On the under side of 17 the channelways 20 and 21 are cut. The shallower channelway 20 accommodates the feed lever 19 and is cut so that it is deeper toward the lower end of 17, thus allowing 19 to be depressed inwardly at its lower end. The deeper narrower channel 21 acts as an ink conduit only. Both channels extend up and across the upper end of the plug, and at the lower end extend upwardly thru the tip of the plug as indicated by 24, forming a hole therein"corresponding to their cross-section. On the upper end of the plug a groove is turned to form a shoulder 25 onto which the snap-ring 26 fits. This ring is made of the upturned and rounded portion of the feed lever 19. 4

The feed lever is preferably made of noncorrosive steel, but may be made of any other suitable material. The upper end is formed into the snap-ring above described, and holds this end in place upon the plug. The longitudinal portion of the lever is a flat spring strip of. metal comformable to the channel 20, and may be bent upwardly at the lower end and into the depression of said channel at the lower end thereof. The lower end is tapered in width, somewhat and is bent upward thru and conforming to the channel 24. The end is curved downward, then flattened off forming a finger which may bear against the pen. This loop and finger 27 form a spring clip which may be hooked thru the ink hole of the pen 18 holding it in place.

The plug 17 is cut away at 28 so that ink will not collect by reason of capillary action between the edge of the pen and the feed plug. The cuts 29 are for the same purpose.

In operation the tip of the spring 27 is inserted in the ink hole of the pen. The pen is then placed flat on the plug 17 and slid upward until the upper curved end engages in the groove formed between 17 and the enlargement 16. The barrel then being filled with ink, and the pen held in position for writing, the ink flows by gravity thru channels 21 and 24, filling the space between 19 and the upper side of the lower end of channel 22. In writing the tip of the pen is pressed against the paper. This draws 19 up into 21 and 22 forcing the ink therein up and into 24 and in contact with the nibs of the pen filling the ink hole in the pen and the loop 27, where itis retained by capillarity and from whence it flows in the conventional manner to the pen tip.

It will be seen that the ink-feeding lever 19 consists of a flat strip of resilient metal which cooperates with a T-shaped groove, and when the pen point is flexed by the writer said lever 19 not only agitates the ink in said groove but also varies the size of the outlet therefrom. lVhile I have fully described my invention in its present form, I realize that this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of my invention, and dolnot wish to be limited by these precise deta1 s.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A fountain pen comprising a barrel, a feed plug partly contained within said barrel and projecting from one end thereof,a pen point havingan ink-feedinghole therethrough and having nibs which overlie the outer portion of said feed plug, said feed plug having its outer end provided with a bevel opposite to said pen point, there being an inlefeeding groove which extends from the pen barrel along the beveled side of said plug and thence across its bevel and to said ink-feeding hole of the pen point, said groove having a widened outer portion, and an ink-feeding flat strip of resilient metal seated in the widened portionof said groove and overlying the deeper portion thereof, the terminal portion of said metal. strip engaging said pen point to be flexed thereby.

2. A fountain pen comprising a barrel, a feed plug partly contained within said barrel and projecting from one end thereof, a pen point having an ink-feeding hole thercthrough and having nibs which overlie the barrel along the beveled side of said plug and thence across its bevel and to said ink-feeding hole of the pen point, said groove being deepened along its midwith, and an ink-feeding flat strip of resilient material seated in said groove and forming a closure for the deepened portion thereof, the terminal portion of said resilient strip projecting thru the ink hole in said pen point and being deflected to engage the outer surface of said pen point, flexing of said pen point causing said resilient strip to vary the size of the outlet portion of said groove.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in Los Angeles,

State of California.

.HUGO A. FUNK. 

